JW Anderson x Persol: sunglasses to style up the heatwave

Female model wears JW Anderson x Persol 0009 sunglasses — (Image credit: TYLER MITCHELL)

Jonathan Anderson has long shown an interest in bringing a new lens to silhouettes, often exploring notions of mundanity and archetypal clothing. For his eponymous brand's S/S 2022 collection which was unveiled last month, the label looked at items synonymous with the everyday contemporary wardrobe, from fleeces to striped tops, and transformed them into something new, using 18th century-inspired strawberry prints and voluminous silhouettes.

The same approach can be seen in JW Anderson’s latest collaboration with Italian eyewear specialist Persol, featuring classic sunglasses silhouettes that have been imbued with a new sense of colour and ebullience. For the prismatic partnership, Anderson has looked to two styles – the ‘649’ aviator style, which dates back to 1957 and was sported by tram drivers before being popularised by Marcello Mastroianni in the 1961 film Divorce Italian Style, and the innovative ‘0009’ silhouette, which features four lenses – and reinterpreted them with two-tone combinations of bold blue, red and orange.

JW Anderson x Persol: classic design meets kaleidoscopic colour

JW Anderson x Persol red and blue 649 sunglasses

JW Anderson x Persol orange and blue 0009 sunglasses — Top, ‘649’ sunglasses by JW Anderson x Persol. Above, ‘0009’ sunglasses, by JW Anderson x Persol

‘They are a design classic; I wear them all the time,’ Anderson says of his long-held affinity for Persol. ‘The craftsmanship and quality is amazing. They remind me of midcentury furniture design, and their classic form inspired the colour combinations.’

In celebration of the collaboration, Anderson has enlisted Brooklyn-based photographer Tyler Mitchell, who also shot and starred in the brand’s A/W 2020 campaign, to photograph a series of emotive portraits, featuring men and women sporting sculptural hair creations that echo the architectural contours of the sunglasses’ silhouettes. These striking structures were created by Jamaican-American hairstylist Jawara. ‘I wanted images that became kind of poetic miniatures, almost like windows,’ Anderson says of the visual series.

Fancy starring in your own miniature portrait? We suggest you pick up a pair of JW Anderson x Persol’s prismastic sunglasses pronto.

Female model wears JW Anderson x Persol 649 sunglasses

Male model wears JW Anderson x Persol 0009 sunglasses

INFORMATION
jwanderson.com

persol.com

With contributions from

Tyler Mitchell - Photography